Dave Chappelle has decided not to name the theater at his old high school after himself, instead opting for a politically charged moniker that mocks cancel society.
During a naming ceremony on Monday, the comedian revealed that the theater at Duke Ellington High School in Washington, DC will now be known as the Theater for Artistic Freedom and Expression.
Last October, Chappelle, 48, drew much condemnation for making jokes about the transgender community during his Netflix special, The Closer.
His old mater had likewise been engulfed by the ferocity fire. Several Duke Ellington students told Chappelle his words were unpleasant and “childish” during a visit last November.
Chapelle said during Monday’s ceremony that he ‘didn’t want any students to see his name on the theater and feel bad about it,’ referring to his encounter with the students.
‘The thought that my name will be used as an instrument of someone else’s perceived tyranny is unsustainable to me,’ he told the crowd, explaining that the chosen name stresses ‘the intricacy of art’ and ‘freedom of artistic expression.’
Due to his ‘ongoing devotion and contribution to the institution,’ Duke Ellington wanted to name the theater after Chappelle, the school’s most prominent alumnus.
Over the years, Chappelle has been a significant supporter of the institution, reportedly donating $100,000 and one of his Emmy awards in 2017.
Following his tense visit in November, Chappelle issued an Instagram challenge to anyone who opposed the school’s intentions to name a building after him.
‘If you object to my earning this distinction, I invite you to donate to the school while stating your opposition,’ he wrote on Facebook. ‘If you agree that the theater should be named ‘Chappelle,’ I urge you to donate to the school and let them know.’
Many people assume the venue will be called the Dave Chappelle Theatre because of the comedian’s supporters who gave more money to the challenge.
Chappelle, however, disclosed on Monday that he has decided to ‘defer’ the renaming of the facility to the Theater for Artistic Freedom and Expression.
Chappelle noted the protest from Duke Ellington students during his November visit, when the renaming ceremony was due to take place, as an example of how the outcry’sincerely pained me.’
According to USA Today and Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin, Chappelle addressed the crowd, “I took a lot of cold shots in business… but they hurt me that day.”
He remembered how, after he questioned what he had done wrong, ‘a line developed’ of students slamming his actions.
‘[While the kids] spoke everything about gender,’ he continued, ‘they didn’t say anything about art.’
The comedian then retaliated against the students’ criticisms of The Closer, claiming that they didn’t know him and were simply carrying out the agenda of the awakened mob.
‘These kids didn’t realize they were oppression’s instruments,’ he said.
He also defended the work, describing it as a “masterpiece” that had been misrepresented in the media.
‘You can’t report on an artist’s work without removing creative nuance,’ he observed of the press, before drawing an unexpected parallel with a beloved Loony Tunes character.
He reasoned that reporting that a large rabbit shot a man in the face without revealing the gunman was Bugs Bunny would be analogous to reporting that a large rabbit shot a man in the face without revealing the gunman was Bugs Bunny.
‘The more you say you can’t say something, the more I feel compelled to express it.’ I can’t say anything about what you’re saying since it has nothing to do with what you’re saying.
‘It has everything to do with my artistic independence,’ Chapelle continued.
‘I read in the press that a man dressed in women’s garb attempted to deface the Mona Lisa by throwing a pie at it.’ It made me giggle, and I thought to myself, “This is like The Closer.”
He also stated that “no matter what they say about The Closer,” it remains one of Netflix’s “top watched specials.”
Last October, the controversial Netflix special was published, sparking protests from hundreds of Netflix employees as well as public outcry from the LGBTQ+ community.
During the special, Chappelle declared that “gender is a fact” and sided with J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, who has criticized the push for transgender rights, such as the right to self-identify and calls for trans women to be sent to women’s prisons or allowed into domestic abuse shelters.
In the Netflix special, he also joked about transwomen’s anatomy, claiming that they lacked true female reproductive systems and that instead of monthly blood, they had ‘beet juice.’
Since Caitlyn Jenner received Glamour magazine’s 2015 Woman of the Year award, he said that women today regard transwomen in the same way as black people could view white women wearing blackface, and that women are justified to feel resentment toward transwomen.
Chappelle also mentioned his friend and transwoman Daphne Dorman, who committed suicide in 2019 at the age of 44 after supporting Chappelle over prior comments.
‘The trans community hauled that b**** through Twitter when she did that,’ Chappelle remarked in ‘The Closer.’
‘It’s a true story,’ he concluded, ‘and my heart was broken.’ ‘I’m not sure what happened, but I’m sure pulling her didn’t help.’
The Ohio comedian has faced a ferocious response as a result of his gags, with his documentary being removed from film festivals and distributors dropping him.
The jokes told in Chappelle’s special were criticised by organizations like as the National Black Justice Coalition and GLAAD.
In an internal email, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos defended Chappelle’s comments against the transgender community, saying, “We don’t allow titles on Netflix that are designed to inspire hate or violence, and we don’t believe crosses that line.”
At a subsequent comedy gig, Chappelle hailed Netflix’s co-CEO, saying, “Thank God for Ted Sarandos at Netflix, he’s the only one who hasn’t cancelled me yet.”
Employee resignations and an organized employee walkout were among the consequences of Netflix’s defense.
However, Sarandos then changed his mind, adding, “I fouled up the internal communication – and I don’t mean just mechanically.”
‘I feel I should’ve made sure to acknowledge that a segment of our colleagues was hurting very severely as a result of the choice made, and I should’ve recognized the agony they were going through upfront before getting into a rationalization of anything,’ Sarandos stated.
‘I say that because I hold them in high regard and admire their contributions to Netflix.’ They were in pain, and I should’ve noticed it sooner.’
Many transgender activists believed Chappelle’s comedy was a form of ‘punching down’ on a powerless population.
Chappelle claimed in a video posted to his Instagram account after the program that he would meet with the transgender community but that he would not ‘bow to anyone’s demands.’